Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom Review

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(More customer reviews)Advantages:
1. No tapes or mini-DVD's; record straight onto hard drive
2. Many hours on the hard drive, even in HQ
3. Beautiful colors & resolution
4. Easy to delete and edit clips
5. Records standard MPEG video (easily edited/manipulated)
Disadvantages:
1. No firewire output to computer (USB only; see below.)
2. No headphone output
3. Included software easy, but not powerful
4. Comes with cheap composite video cable; premium S-video cable addn'l cost
I've sorely needed a camcorder for some time now, but I also wanted to avoid a future of buying and storing and fiddling with drawers full of tapes or mini-DVs... so I looked into hard-drive camcorders. Reviews of the exisiting hard-drive camcorders out there were quite mixed, at best - problems with image quality, compression, adaptability to video editing software, etc. So I held on, (unfortunately missing the opportunity to film my kid's first birthday and first steps, etc.) and I bought this machine as soon as it was finally released (initially only to Sony stores) in mid-April. It is surpassing my expectations thus far.
I really do like shooting video directly onto a hard drive. I don't have to worry about wasting tape/miniDVD space, running out of tape, or finding the right spot on the right tape, etc., so I find that it really frees me up to shoot video whenever I'm inspired - and just delete (immediately or later) if the clip isn't interesting. Very liberating. Deleting segments is very easy, just as easy as on a typical digital camera. The clips are organized automatically into folders based on date/time, and within each folder, clips are selected for viewing on the touch screen (or via included remote control), referenced graphically by the first frame of each clip. Simple. One can watch/listen to clips on the 2.7" screen (and speaker) integrated into the camcorder, or hook the camcorder up to TV or computer for playback/preview of unedited footage - resolution is excellent on my 40" LCD TV. I was wondering if I'd be disappointed in the resolution on my big screen, especially considering that nice compact high-def camcorders are now in the $1500 and less range (none with hard disk drives, though), but I'm not disappointed at all; video looks great and crisp straight out of the camcorder - especially since using the "premium" S-video cable I bought for about $35 (which should really be included in the package, I think.)
Creating quality DVDs was my real goal, though, ie. sharing the results with family/friends, and creating a long-lasting archive. Using the included software, I've created a first DVD of about 25 minutes of various length segments of video, mostly of my 15-month old daughter running around and being extremely cute. The DVD looks and sounds surprisingly clear and colorful and vibrant, even on my 40" LCD. The included software makes it fairly straightforward to import video from the camcorder's hard drive onto my computer's hard drive, for editing and authoring DVDs of video. It knows which clips have been imported already, and imports only those that are new. One you've decided what you want on the DVD, it comes out with menus and all, very cool. I haven't yet tried the even simpler "easy-DVD" burn feature, as I've been into editing the clips somewhat before putting them on DVD; I don't know what those results look like. Also, for Mac users, the instructions do include some comments about using the footage with Macintosh computers (I haven't tried that yet.)
Shooting with the camcorder is a breeze. Nice slow smooth zooms are possible, and become easy once you get the hang of it. I was worried that there would be a lag time to initiate recording (after pressing the "record" button) but there is none really. It feels pretty good in my hand. I haven't dropped it, and don't plan to, so I can't comment on whether the hard drive fails with trauma.
Some comments:
1. My computer doesn't have USB 2.0 input (which is the standard for the past three yrs or so), and I've had no luck with various adapters, so the lack of firewire output is rather annoying to me personally, and causes importing of clips to my computer to be rather time-consuming (though easy). It seems silly that Sony is abandoning firewire output on this machine, just like Apple has abandoned it on the newest Ipods. Sucks for me; though my computer is a great but oldish HP with fast Pentium 4 processing, it only has USB 1.1 support. For most of you, though, importing via USB 2.0, it should be quite fast.
2. Sound recording is very good, but I wish the camcorder had a headphone port. Oh, well. Perhaps it's a blessing, as now I have no reason to plug my head into headphones all the time.
3. The included software is really nice for getting the video from camcorder to computer, but editing is primitive at best. I'm waiting for my video editing software suite to arrive at my door (I chose Sony Vegas Platinum, based on reviews); I hope it works well. Compatibility should not be a problem, as the video files are saved, on my computer, as MPEG video files, which are a fairly standard platform.
4. You'll be tempted (like me) to start buying software and accessories (mic, extra battery, new computer with superfast processing speeds, etc.) so save a few hundred (or thousand) for those. Included battery lasts for almost 2 hours of use.
Overall a very nice machine, with a lot going for it. I'm very happy to own it, and I'm using it frequently with minimal problems thus far. I wish it had firewire output and a headphone jack, but it's great even without it.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Sony DCR-SR100 3MP 30GB Hard Drive Handycam Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom

Box Contents: DCR-SR100, AC-L200 Power Adapter/In-Camera Charger, NP-FP60 InfoLithium(R) Rechargeable Battery, RMT-835 Remote Commander, A/V Cable, ImageMixer, USB Cable The Sony DCR-SR100 30GB HandyCam Camcorder saves you time, money and space by recording stills and videos internally. Its built-in 30GB hard drive stores all your imaging - connect the camcorder to any PictBridge-enabled printer and print out your 3.0 MegaPixel stills instantly. Your home movies come to life with 5.1 channel sound recording, while the large 2.7" LCD screen lets you monitor or playback stills or video. You can even preview in 16:9 mode. The Progresive Shutter System gives you progressive-scan performance for excellent definition, while the Super SteadyShot(R) and Super NightShot(R) features help you take shake-free shots & video that look great in the lowest light. On-screen navigation makes using the DCR-SR100 a snap, and the Active Interface Shoe lets you connect optional accessories for all your video needs.Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* lensSuper SteadyShot(R) picture stabilizationSuper NightShot(R) InfraredProgressive Shutter SystemShutter Speeds -Auto, 1/2-1/4000 sec. (AE Mode) Focal Distance -5.1 - 51mm Filter Diameter -30mmTouch Panel ExposureFull Range Auto and Manual Focus Multiple picture and fader effectsProgrammed Auto Exposure modes -Beach & Ski, Landscape, Portrait, Sports Lesson, Spotlight, Sunset & MoonOn-screen zoom & record buttonsBuilt-in 5.1 channel microphoneActive Interface ShoeUSB 2.0PictBridge compatibleS-Video in/out (optional)Operating Systems -Windows 2000 Pro, XP Home and ProBattery -InfoLithium(R) with AccuPower(TM) Meter SystemDimensions -3-1/6 x 2-7/8 x 5-13/15 (80.5 x 68.5 x 149 mm)Weight -1 lb, 6 oz. (615 g) with tape & battery

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Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 Wifi Wireless 802.11 Security Network Camera with Infrared Night Vision Review

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(More customer reviews)
I recently purchased the SCNC2607 IP-Cam to use as a video server that I could access from within my home on my PC's and iPhones, as well as to access the video from anywhere outside my home LAN if I want.
Not requiring any special software to access this camera is the single most important item for me. If you want to be able to log into a camera from anywhere in the world, on any machine that has a connection to the internet and a web browser of some type, this is the one. There is also an included application called "Multi Live" which allows you to view up to 4 cams in one window.
The camera itself was pretty easy to set up, and the image quality is superb! No tricky setup decisions are necessary by the user to decide what type of streams are available to whoever logs into it from whatever platform. If you log into it on an iPhone through Safari, the iPhone negotiates with the camera server software and automatically appends the URL with the "/en/mjpgmain.asp" extension. If logged in from Internet Explorer, the basic URL automatically appends the "en/avmain.asp" extension. All you need to do is type the URL of the camera into your browser and the rest is taken care of automatically.
Safari on the iPhone will not process the audio stream, but this is not a problem with the camera, it is a limitation with Safari. I have read that Safari on a Mac computer will also not process the audio stream. I have tried various iPhone applications to process the audio stream, without success. But the designer of IP Vision by TTrix software has written me that an upcoming version will process audio. I have also tried this camera on a Sony PSP-3000 with the current firmware version (installed on 02-10-09) and current Flash update, but the device chokes up on memory limitations and can only process the jpeg still image. Some tablet PC's and/or WiFi portable media players like the Nokia N810 or Archos 605 might work, but I haven't tried them.
The default image quality settings don't need to be tweaked to lower quality settings unless your upload bandwidth gets maxed out. For one login to the camera (over the internet from work) I was able to use the maximum quality settings and didn't see or hear any problems. My connection at home is cable internet with about 128 Kilobyte upload and 5 Megabit download, so I was worried about upload speed. With 8 users logged on, there could be issues requiring some settings tweaks, but that's more than most people are probably going to be worried about. If you connect within your LAN then you don't need to be concerned with upload bandwidth, because the data isn't passing through your modem.
There is a color setting, moonlight setting, and night vision setting, but I choose to let the camera do what it thinks it needs to do and have left these controls in automatic. The night vision works even in absolute darkness, and the image is crisp and clean. There is a setting for motion detection, with variable parameters to offset alarms or recording from occurrences like ceiling fans or a bird flying past a window.
When viewing the camera on your browser, you have some easy control buttons available to take snapshots in either .bmp or .jpg formats. You can also record to your hard drive, in the .asf format. Recording can be stopped and started with the "Record" button, or started with the button and stopped by a maximum file size input that anyone logged in can specify. These picture and video controls can be run by anyone you authorize in either the admin account or any user accounts you set up.
The user accounts (an account created that is not the admin account) has no access to your settings for the camera, so it's a good one to send to Mom and Dad or your crazy aunt. When they get to the logon screen, if they choose "Enter" they can see what's on your camera and record what they see and/or hear. If they try to enter "Settings" then they are presented with the login username/ password box again. As long as they don't have your admin password, then you are safe from unauthorized changes to the camera settings.
For up to 8 concurrent logons, you don't need to create 8 separate guest user accounts. One will suffice. I have logged onto one guest account through a browser on my PC over the internet, through my iPhone on WiFi over the internet, and also through another browser on the same PC but using the LAN IP address. That's pretty cool to be able to log on over LAN or WAN while connected through the same router the camera is connecting to. Like if somebody chops up your internet cable connection with a ditch digger, you can still see the cam by using the LAN address.
The instruction manual supplied with the camera is very good. I only found one typo and it wasn't important. It was not translated three times from an original language using obscure clucking noises and hieroglyphic symbols. An email to tech support was answered promptly and with great attention to detail. The techies are REAL ENGINEERS, not some morons in monkey suits with a license to confuse and aggravate.
I mentioned before that the camera "itself" was easy to set up. That is true. What might be a bit challenging for some is the router configuration. I suggest while waiting for the camera to be delivered, brush up on your router's help files. Find the range of IP addresses your router is assigning to devices automatically, such as 192.168.1.25 through 192.168.1.125, because the IP address you choose to assign to the cam to make it a permanent host will be somewhere outside of that range. Also check to see if your router has the latest firmware. My Trendnet TEW-452BRP had a glitch with running DDNS updates, even if all the fields were input properly. This would have caused me great frustration had I not checked the website first.
If you want to access the cam from outside your LAN, then read up a little bit on DDNS. I'm using a free account from "no-ip.com" and there is a brief primer on using this service in the camera instruction manual. Check your router to see if it has an automatic function to update your current IP Address to a DDNS server. It doesn't have to, as your PC can do it for you automatically every time it boots with a free program you get after registering, but why not be redundant if you can? If you decide to set up DDNS so as to access the cam through WAN, then find out how to give the cam TCP and UDP privileges on a specified port number, typically using a function called "Virtual Server." Otherwise you would open "DMZ" or perhaps "Special AP" to give the cam connectivity rights.
Be warned that DMZ opens all ports, which might be dangerous. Special AP is for programs which require multiple connections that are blocked by NAT, so again that might be dangerous as well. Using Virtual Server only opens the ports necessary for functionality of this specific device, so it is the best way to punch that hole through the wall into the WWW. And remember, if you are restricting access to the router by use of MAC numbers, shut that off when first installing the cam or else you won't get it to connect. Later you can turn it back on.
None of this is rocket science, but if problems do occur, the Engineers at Sharx are competent and they are committed to not letting you fail. It even says so in the instruction manual!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharx Security VIPcella-IR SCNC2607 Wifi Wireless 802.11 Security Network Camera with Infrared Night Vision

This Wifi b/g wireless IP camera has its own built in web server. You can view the video from your own home network or you can configure your router to view and control the camera from computers or cellphones on the internet, without dependence on any third party web sites or subscriptions. With the built-in microphone you can listen in. Excellent MPEG4 or MJPEG video quality at a full 640 x 480 resolution with up to 30 frames per second for fluid, natural motion color. For viewing or recording a single camera no software is required besides just your browser. For viewing or recording multiple Sharx IP cameras the included MultiView software for PCs supports up to 4 Sharx IP cameras simultaneously. Truly amazing to see the streaming video on your web enabled cell phone. For frequent use we recommend to upgrade your cellphone service to unlimited data, which costs just $15/mo extra on the ATT network. You can see motion even on non-3G phones like SonyEricsson w580i. If your phone does not support video you can see automatically refreshing JPEG images. At home, you can use this camera with your laptop or iPhone as a baby or pet monitor, and the very high light sensitivity in "moonlight mode" allows you to view out from a window to see what's happening in the street as long as there is some background light available. This camera has infrared night vision which can see in total, absolute darkness. Like any infrared sensitive camera, the daytime colors are subdued and can appear unnatural especially on plants and vegetation. For eye-popping, gorgeous daytime colors please select the less expensive Sharx SCNC2606 camera if you do not need night vision in total darkness. Wireless operation supports WEP, WPA, WPA2 encryption. On routers with UPnP feature the camera can set itself up automatically, and on routers without UPnP (such as Apple's Airport series) the camera can be set up with our step by step instructions.

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Sharx Security SCNC3605 Wireless Weatherproof Outdoor MPEG4 IP Network Camera with Infrared Night Vision and built in DVR Review

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(More customer reviews)For several years I have been waiting for an affordable, wireless, outdoor IP camera to hit the market, and it looks like it has finally arrived. After 3 weeks of summer 90-degree heat, high humidity and torrential thunder storms in Georgia, I'm happy to report this camera continues to hum along just great. I have not had to reset it once, and have monitored it remotely via my Moto Droid almost daily (using the free IP Cam Lite viewer, which delivers the full 640x480 live feed). I use this camera to monitor my driveway and it serves its purpose with beautiful daytime color, excellent night vision, and better-than-expected low-light performance. I have it set to record video upon motion detection and FTP it to my ReadyNAS server, and it has worked flawlessly. Of course, the nighttime insects of the Southeast trip it almost constantly at night, but you can fully adjust the motion zones and sensitivity to minimize on false tripping. I have not seen a better camera with the feature set of this camera at this price point, and if it holds out in the coming months I will definitely be purchasing more to cover other zones around the house. My father has been running one in Texas for a little longer than I have and he's thoroughly pleased with it as well. I'll provide an update a few months from now.
Update [February 5, 2011] - Just a quick note to say that the camera has still been working flawlessly, 24/7, for 6 months now. Outside operating temperatures have ranged from the 100 degrees to 13 degrees and it just keeps on working. I don't know why it has on again/off again availability on Amazon, as this is clearly the best outdoor wireless IP camera that they sell. However, apparently you can still order it directly from Sharx.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sharx Security SCNC3605 Wireless Weatherproof Outdoor MPEG4 IP Network Camera with Infrared Night Vision and built in DVR

This outdoor night vision IP camera works on 10/100 Ethernet with Cat5 wiring or on 802.11 g wireless networks secured with WEP, WPA or WPA2 encryption. Multiple viewers can see video or snapshots in any of the supported formats including MPEG4, MJPEG, 3GPP and JPEG. Both HTTP and RTSP streaming protocols are supported for use with browsers or media players on Windows or Mac computers as well as iPhone, Droid, Blackberry or other web enabled cell phones. Multiple streams with 3 separate choices of image quality are available simultaneously. Video can be adjusted from near DVD quality with audio and full motion (2048K, 640 x 480, 30 fps) all the way down to a bandwidth saving mobile stream (20K, 176 x 144, 5 fps). With the included MicroSD memory card the camera functions as a standalone DVR for motion detection or continuous video. Recording time ranges from 1 hour/GB to almost 100 hours/GB based on selected video quality. The camera can automatically upload recorded video files to an FTP server or standalone network drive with FTP feature. Except for a waterproof electrical box for power connection, all mounting hardware is included. The mounting bracket can attach to the top or bottom of the camera for maximum positioning flexibility. The required 12 VDC / 1A power is supplied by the included international standard 100-240V AC adapter. This camera can see up to 45 ft in absolute darkness with its powerful infrared LEDs. A wired or wireless router is required for operation. Access from outside the home network (LAN) requires internet service. Automatic setup for remote viewing requires a recent model router with the UPnP feature. Older routers, networks with multiple routers, or Apple Airport require manual configuration. Step by step instructions included for current version of Airport Extreme or Time Capsule. Includes 30 days unlimited free email tech support and up to 30 minutes of free telephone support during the first 30 days after purchase.

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